Rafael Nadal returned to Bastad for the first time since 2005, and he joked after his opening win that he was back to defend his title.
The Spaniard won the event in the Swedish city in 2005 as a teenager and he is now back 19 years later in preparation for the Olympic Games. His return was rather fruitful, as he first won a doubles match at the ATP 250 tournament together with Casper Ruud, after which he downed Leo Borg in the singles as well.
Speaking after his singles match, Nadal expressed gratitude to the weather for allowing him to play the match to the end, as his doubles match was stopped multiple times because of rain.
He also explained that it was great to be back on the courts and get a win. He last played before this event at Roland Garros, where he was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the opening round.
“Great feelings. It’s true that there have been some on and off conditions in terms of weather, but we are lucky that we have been able to play the whole match without rain today. I’m happy for that.”
He was then asked about being back in Bastad for the first time since 2005, and he joked that he was defending the title while also speaking about the crowd, which heavily backed him during the match despite him playing against a native player who just happened to be the son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg.
“I’m defending the title. Playing in front of a full crowd like this means a lot to me. It gives me energy to keep practicing every day. Even in the tougher moments, I have been able to keep going with the help of the team.”
“The fans have a huge impact on that. They give me an amazing energy. Today, I have to say thank you very much to the Spanish followers here, but especially the Swedish, since I haven’t been able to play here since a long time ago.”
